Wow you guys are nuts. Update for those who waste there time on these forums (like me). Paul Thomas was promoted to black belt this past Sunday by Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes (Gracie Barra BH) Paul's original BJJ master. Alvis Solis (Machado BB) was present for the promotion. Paul's academy is extraordinary, and if you're ever in the area please stop by, you are personally invited by me (Paul's wife). You can check out pics of the school and bios (not up to date since Sunday, but I know how you guys love bios & pics). www.katyjiujitsu.com If you have any question as to whether Paul or his academy are the REAL DEAL please stop by, call or email Draculino or Alvis! They would be glad to set you straight.

Actually, the background and facts on Paul's BJJ history look pretty good now. Blue through Draculinho, purple and brown through Alvis - a known active Carlos Machado BB, and a recent promotion from brown to black from his original instructor.

Now that we've got all that sorted out and there are no more kiddie belts and gay wrestling shoes involved, that's a school I'd probably be a lot more likely to check out if I'm in the area (well, actually I'd probably go to Carlos's, but the sentiment stands).

I'm sure Paul has legit ground skills.

Now the other rhetoric is a bit much - "Our methods create champions in much shorter times then do other schools", then a list of 6 or 7 guys who've won some unnamed medal in some belt rank at a tournament. That's not exactly the Alliance team there. And also a bit much from a NEW BJJ BB.

But hey, we're happy with baby steps. Congrats on Paul's achievement of BJJ black from Draculinho.

just how did paul get his black-belt

It seems to me that there is a lot of confusion as to where i got my belts, and who gave them to me. I started doing judo in the 80s, Karl Giess. Recently Sensei Giess had some problems with his health. I believed that he wanted make sure that I would get the rank I needed in the event that something would happen to him. So I accepted. Of course Karl is back , and healthy as a horse, but he allowed to retain that rank. But honestly I'm a bad-ass.

It is through Sensei Giess, I met Zenik Mantl. Sensei Mantl gave me a 2nd degree black-belt, though his Jujitsu system. This of course was Japanese Jujitsu.

Now, I first got my blue-belt from Pedro Alberto. But when I got to Brazil I was told that I was only a white belt by Brazilian standards. But I won a couple of tournaments when I was in Bahia. So Menitoro (sorry about the spelling) gave it back to me. He said "now you can tell people you got your belt in Brazil, from Menotoro." This was in 95, so i thought "big deal."

After that I quit BJJ, and got hooked up with the "World Grappling Federation." So it was I stayed a Blue -Belt for 6 years, until I started training with Alvis Solis (the best bjj teacher I ever had. Alvis got me up to brown-belt. But it was Draculino who gave me my Black-belt.

You guys should check my school it awsome! or go to www.katyjiujitsu.com
and if anyone thinks I'm not a Black-belt, I I have an octagon, in the midle of my dojo.

Rank issues and all that aside, one thing in this thread has concerned me. I've never thought that the gi would matter. I have only 1 good judo gi, the rest are bjj gis. My judo coaches have no problem with me wearing my white and blue bjj gis to judo practice. Now, I have never claimed a brown belt in bjj. But if someone takes my picture of me in my judo brown belt, wearing my blue atama, how is it my fault if someone thinks I'm a bjj brown belt? Even more so if I have a website that makes no such claim. Likewise, if I wear my judo gi to bjj practice (which I did last saturday). It would be silly for someone to take a snapshot and say "see this is after he claimed to get his brown belt in judo, and here he is sporting a judo gi wearing a blue belt!" Even worse if you went to the occasional aikido class I drop in on and take a picture of me in a judo gi and a white belt!

Anyways, my point is the whole argument of "it's a bjj gi" is just retarded. I like my bjj gis much more then my judo ones. When I get my judo black belt, I will be wearing my bjj gis. Sorry if anyone thinks I'm a bjj black belt, that is their tough luck.

"a martial art that has no rules is nothing but violence" - Kenji Tomiki

ok ok, my wife said I went a little over the top with the octagon comment, I apoligize. I just hadn't read this thread until recently and it pissed me off at first. she tried to hide the thread from me b/c she new it would make me want to respond. but no worries anyone who wants to train is more then welcome, it's about the sport not me.

It seems to me that there is a lot of confusion as to where i got my belts, and who gave them to me. I started doing judo in the 80s, Karl Giess. Recently Sensei Giess had some problems with his health. I believed that he wanted make sure that I would get the rank I needed in the event that something would happen to him. So I accepted. Of course Karl is back , and healthy as a horse, but he allowed to retain that rank. But honestly I'm a bad-ass.

It is through Sensei Giess, I met Zenik Mantl. Sensei Mantl gave me a 2nd degree black-belt, though his Jujitsu system. This of course was Japanese Jujitsu.

Now, I first got my blue-belt from Pedro Alberto. But when I got to Brazil I was told that I was only a white belt by Brazilian standards. But I won a couple of tournaments when I was in Bahia. So Menitoro (sorry about the spelling) gave it back to me. He said "now you can tell people you got your belt in Brazil, from Menotoro." This was in 95, so i thought "big deal."

After that I quit BJJ, and got hooked up with the "World Grappling Federation." So it was I stayed a Blue -Belt for 6 years, until I started training with Alvis Solis (the best bjj teacher I ever had. Alvis got me up to brown-belt. But it was Draculino who gave me my Black-belt.

You guys should check my school it awsome! or go to www.katyjiujitsu.com
and if anyone thinks I'm not a Black-belt, I I have an octagon, in the midle of my dojo.

Don't worry. The majority of us recognized there were no problems on your end. This site just has one pedantic bitch that runs around screaming the sky is falling.

It seems to me that there is a lot of confusion as to where i got my belts, and who gave them to me. I started doing judo in the 80s, Karl Giess. Recently Sensei Giess had some problems with his health. I believed that he wanted make sure that I would get the rank I needed in the event that something would happen to him. So I accepted. Of course Karl is back , and healthy as a horse, but he allowed to retain that rank. But honestly I'm a bad-ass.

It is through Sensei Giess, I met Zenik Mantl. Sensei Mantl gave me a 2nd degree black-belt, though his Jujitsu system. This of course was Japanese Jujitsu.

Now, I first got my blue-belt from Pedro Alberto. But when I got to Brazil I was told that I was only a white belt by Brazilian standards. But I won a couple of tournaments when I was in Bahia. So Menitoro (sorry about the spelling) gave it back to me. He said "now you can tell people you got your belt in Brazil, from Menotoro." This was in 95, so i thought "big deal."

After that I quit BJJ, and got hooked up with the "World Grappling Federation." So it was I stayed a Blue -Belt for 6 years, until I started training with Alvis Solis (the best bjj teacher I ever had. Alvis got me up to brown-belt. But it was Draculino who gave me my Black-belt.

You guys should check my school it awsome! or go to www.katyjiujitsu.com
and if anyone thinks I'm not a Black-belt, I I have an octagon, in the midle of my dojo.

Just when I thought I'd seen everything...

The problem this thread dealt with--the kiddie belt--was resolved by the disclosure that Paul Thomas was under Alvis Solis at the time, and that Alvis awards what are usually considered youth color belts to his adult students as well. Questions about Paul Thomas were resolved, with the revelation that he was recently promoted to BJJ BB by Draculino. Now some thread-necromancing Paul Thomas troll materializes!

So you've got a sixth dan in Judo from "Sensei Giess," gringo? How could you possibly have been chosen as a possible successor to Sensei Geis when you can't even spell his name right? The real Paul Thomas would not be guilty of such a blunder. And I see that you're dropping the name of Pedro Alberto. Now if you really trained under Pedro, you ought to be able to answer these three questions: 1) What brought Pedro to Houston in the first place? 2) What is his full-time occupation in Brazil? 3) From whom did Pedro get his BJJ BB?

I'm particularly amused at your posturing as a badass and challenging people to step into "your" octagon. I've researched the real Paul Thomas, and he is the real deal. Go over there and step into "his" octagon and he'll hand you your impostrous ass on a platter.

And another thing. I have it on good authority that the lady posting on here really is the wife of the real Paul Thomas. Now what is she going to think if she visits again and discovers that some troll is posing as her husband?

Duck,
This is another case where you're likely missing when it is reasonable to drop something. Maybe he isn't the guy based on the "ss" but it is also likely that it is the right guy and he got worked up reading about how he is a fraud because when you read full you think 26' as opposed to not a half cage.

You know, you could easily email the wife since you've had such success corresponding with her and let her know someone is posting as her husband.